Nursing troubles

So, I have been nursing baby J as I did with Gigi. In the beginning, it was the same as with Gigi, very painful. To be expected in the first couple of weeks. Still, last week things were getting much better. I was only having some minor pain if he didn't latch on correctly.

A few days ago I was faced with something I have never experienced before.

Three days ago I began having some soreness in my breast - it felt like a bruise really. As the day went on it became increasingly painful every time I nursed baby J. Instead of just a sore feeling I was getting sharp shooting pains every time I nursed. By that evening I started feeling strange in general - like I was getting sick. By 9:30 I was having chills and feeling down right nasty.

I checked my temp - 101.1. So, I took some Tylenol and took a nap. At 10:30 I checked my temp again. Now it was 102. I waited another hour and checked my temp again at 11:30 - 102.6.

So now I decide it's time to call someone. Since the pain in my breasts had been getting worse as my temperature rose, I figured I would try the midwife first.

Well, long story short - I have mastitis. Mastitis is an infection of the breast tissue that causes pain, swelling and redness of the breast. Mastitis most commonly affects women who are breast-feeding, although in rare circumstances this condition can occur outside of lactation.
Often, mastitis occurs within the first six weeks after birth (postpartum), but it can happen later during breast-feeding. The condition can leave you feeling exhausted and rundown, making it difficult to care for your baby. Sometimes mastitis leads a mother mistakenly to wean her baby before she intends to. But you can continue breast-feeding while you have mastitis. (Definition is from Mayoclinic.com)

I was given an antibiotic which I started yesterday morning. I have to take it 4 times a day for 7 days and was told to nurse as often as possible - at least every two hours (at least there's no problem getting baby J to nurse every two hours).

So now I am on my 2nd day of the antibiotics and already feeling immensely better. It has stopped hurting when I nurse now which I am very thankful for!

I hope to never experience this again!